Generic Companies Support Canadian Farmers Quest to Improve Generic Pesticide Regulation
Mana, NewAgCo, Cheminova, UPI and Albaugh support farmers request for solutions
SASKATOON, July 2, 2013 /CNW/ - In a recent meeting, a group of Canadian Generic companies agreed that the issues identified by a group of Canadian farmers regarding the current process to register generic crop protection products, are creating a major disruption in farmers' ability to improve their cost competitiveness.
According to one regulatory consultant, who works on generic registrations domestically and around the world, "Canada is, in fact, one of the most difficult countries to register end use generic pesticides".
"As a result of several serious flaws in regulation, and in how that regulation is administered", adds another generic company official, "we are finding it very difficult to offer Canadian farmers the broad array of generic pesticides that US farmers have access too."
Generic companies agree that unless the Protection of Proprietary Interests in Pesticides (PPIP) policy is changed, the number of successful generic registrations will continue to decline.
Several applications have, in fact, been aborted during the registration process and many have not been started as a result of unclear rules, contradictions in the process and how the rules have been interpreted and applied.
Canadian generic companies claim that these dynamics not only seriously impede their ability to register product, it dramatically undermines farmers' competitiveness.
One generic company recently decided not to proceed in Canada. Others have contemplated pulling out of the business of registering generic crop protection products in Canada entirely.
Generic companies applaud the Harper Government's objective of creating a cost competitive environment in Canadian agriculture, and implore them to ensure that the Pest Management Regulatory Agency complies with that agenda.
Together, Mana, NewAgCo, Cheminova, UPI, Albaugh represent a group of companies that register generic crop protection products used by farmers in Canada.
SOURCE: Mana
For further information:
Craig Rath, Rath Consulting
Tel: 1-306-227-2822
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